Configuration method for a remote

• US 8,674,815 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Harris, Glen McLean, Henry, Justin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/567,986
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 341/5.61, 341/3.1, 340/12.22
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

An online remote control configuration system for efficiently programming a remote control to recognize a plurality of external electronic devices. The online remote control configuration system includes a remote control having a housing, a keypad, and an electronic system for receiving configuration data from a control station is a global computer network (e.g. Internet). The user preferably “samples” one or more signals from a remote control into the electronic system and then uploads the samples to the control station. The control station analyzes the uploaded samples and transmits the appropriate configuration data to properly configure the electronic system. The user may also access a web site of the control station and manually select each of the external electronic devices that the remote control is to operate after which the control station sends the appropriate configuration data to the electronic system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling appliances, comprising:

receiving, from an electronic system that is capable of communicating with at least one of a plurality of user-controlled appliances, information encoding physical appearance information for a user-controlled appliance among the plurality of user-controlled appliances;

determining, based at least on the received information, a set of command codes for the corresponding user-controlled appliance, the set of command codes being effective to control the user-controlled appliance when implemented by the electronic system; and

configuring the electronic system with the determined set of command codes to control the corresponding user-controlled appliance,

wherein the information encoding the physical appearance information for the user-controlled appliance corresponds to an image representing the physical appearance of the user-controlled appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information encoding the physical appearance information for the user-controlled appliance is received from a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information encoding the physical appearance information for the user-controlled appliance is received from a user in response to one or more prompts presented to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of command codes is determined by a control station that is remote from the electronic system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control station is connected to the electronic system over a global computer network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information encoding the physical appearance information for the user-controlled appliance includes receiving a selection by the user of a picture of the physical appearance of the user-controlled appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information encoding the physical appearance information for the user-controlled appliance includes receiving a selection by the user of a picture of a remote control for the user-controlled appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the electronic system, information encoding connection information for the plurality of user-controlled appliances.

9. A system for controlling appliances, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory, including instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to at least;

receive information that corresponds to a physical appearance of at least one user-controlled appliance with which the system is capable of communicating;

determine, by at least analyzing the received information, a set of command codes that, when implemented by a remote control device, are effective to control the corresponding user-controlled appliance; and

transmit, to the remote control device, the determined command codes to control the corresponding user-controlled appliance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information that corresponds to the physical appearance of the at least one user-controlled appliance is received from a user associated with the system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information that corresponds to the physical appearance of the at least one user-controlled appliance identifies an image of the physical appearance of the at least one user-controlled appliance.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the information that corresponds to the physical appearance of the at least one user-controlled appliance identifies an image of the physical appearance of the at least one user-controlled appliance selected by a user of the remote control device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the received information is analyzed to determine whether it corresponds with at least one user-controlled appliance with which the system is capable of communicating.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is capable of communicating with the user-controlled appliance using the remote control device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the remote control device is capable of implementing the determined command codes to control the corresponding user-controlled appliance.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is included in a mobile communications device.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for receiving, from the electronic system, information encoding connection information of the at least one user-controlled appliance to one or more other user-controlled appliances.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media having collectively stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

receive information that corresponds to physical appearances of user-controlled appliances able to receive communications from devices associated with the computer system;

determine, based at least on analyzing the received information, the user-controlled appliances corresponding to the received information;

determine command code sets for at least a subset of the user-controlled appliances, the command code sets enabling control of the corresponding user-controlled appliances when implemented by the devices; and

implementing, by the devices, the determined command code sets.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the information that corresponds to physical appearances of user-controlled appliances is received from a user associated with the devices associated with the computer system.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the determined command code sets are implemented by transferring the determined command code sets to the devices.

21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the information corresponding to at least one particular user-controlled appliance corresponds to an image selected by a user of the particular user-controlled appliance.

22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to provide a user-exposed interface to a user via a public communications network, wherein the user-exposed interface enables the user to provide the information.

23. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the devices are remote control devices.

24. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to maintain a data store that includes command code sets for a plurality of user-controlled appliances.

25. The computer-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to determine the command code sets by querying the data store for the command code sets associated with the determined user-controlled appliances.

26. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the information corresponding to the physical appearances of the user-controlled appliances is based at least in part on images identified by at least some users of the devices associated with the computer system.

27. The computer-readable storage media of claim 26, wherein the images include images of at least some of the physical appearances of the user-controlled appliances.

28. The computer-readable storage media of claim 26, wherein the images include images of remote controls for at least some of the user-controlled appliances.